Search continues for two fishermen after dragger sinks

An air and sea search of Cobscook Bay area was initiated on Tuesday, October 20, after a sea urchin dragger from Lubec was reported as overdue. The Bottom Basher was last seen by the Maine Marine Patrol at 1 p.m. Tuesday and, according to unofficial sources, aboard were skipper Joseph Jones of Trescott and crew members Darrell Cline of Cutler and Norman Johnson Jr. of Machiasport. The Coast Guard has confirmed that one body was located in the search area on October 21 and transported to Station Eastport. The other two fishermen were still missing, as of noon on October 24.

The Coast Guard reports that a search began at about 10 p.m. after "a concerned party" made at 911 call Tuesday night. Two search and rescue boats from Station Eastport were launched, and an urgent marine information broadcast was issued. An HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter arrived on scene at 11:45 p.m. and searched throughout the night. Pieces of debris, including portions of the hull marked with the vessel's state registration number, along with lifejackets marked with the Bottom Basher's name, were found over a very large area. The body of Darrell Cline was found off Shackford's Head in Eastport at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday by Austin Humphries of Perry aboard his dragger Bev & Gerry, which called in the discovery. A lot of debris was found near Falls Island, between Pembroke and Trescott, and a lifejacket was discovered off the Campobello shore across from Indian Island. The water temperature in the bay is 470.

Aiding in the search are two Maine Marine Patrol vessels, as well as the Maine State Police, who are looking on shore. Because of the proximity to the Canadian border, the Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax was engaged and coordinated Royal Canadian Mounted Police and a Canadian Forces helicopter to help find the missing fishermen.

Russell Wright of the Maine Marine Patrol says he and fellow officer David Dent began searching on Tuesday night, and Wright didn't return home until suppertime the next day. "I know these guys. We searched everywhere. Everywhere," he stresses. "We don't know exactly where it happened. A fisherman saw the boat around 3 p.m. heading home, but they could have turned around." Drags can get caught on the bottom, causing a vessel to sink.

"This is almost identical to what happened to the All American," says Wright of the fishing vessel that sank in Cobscook Bay in March. The body of Loren Lank of Lubec was located, but the other fisherman on that vessel, 19-year-old Logan Preston of Roque Bluffs, has not been found.

"It's just a tragedy for the families," says Wright of the October 20 sinking. "The support of the local people is very much appreciated. The way the economy is, people who are trying to make money are stopping and using their time to help with the search."

John Phinney, a seafood buyer from Trescott, says he had been buying from the missing boat owner, Joseph Jones, for years, "but I've known him all of his life. He's a very good man. A nice man. A great father and husband. We've gone fresh-water fishing together, and we both like to hunt."

"I know Darrell Cline, too. I've sold to him for years," he adds. "He's always smiling. Always polite to people."

"I commend the effort they're putting in to find them," says Phinney. "The response was great."

Captain James McPherson, commander of Coast Guard Sector Northern New England, spoke to the three fishermen's family members on Thursday morning, October 22, and told them that at sundown, if nothing else is discovered, the search would go from a rescue to a recovery mode. "They've been very understanding. We've been using computerized programs, including data like tide, currents, vessel length, weather and where debris has been found to create maps of where they might be."

"The local interagency support has been outstanding during this challenging search. We greatly appreciate the actions of our first response partners for their rapid and unified efforts," says McPherson. "We're especially pleased with the cooperation from the Canadians about providing assistance. It gives us confidence that we have really searched the area well."